House of Commons Amendments

Session 2015 - 16
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

1

House of Commons

Notices of Amendments

given up to and including

Friday 19 June 2015

New Amendments handed in are marked thus

Amendments which will comply with the required notice period at their next appearance

Amendments tabled since the last publication: 4 and NC2

Consideration of Bill

European Union Referendum Bill, As Amended

Note

This document includes all amendments tabled to date and includes any

withdrawn amendments at the end. The amendments have been arranged in the

order in which they relate to the Bill.

NEW CLAUSES

Sir William Cash

Mr Owen Paterson

Mr Steve Baker

Mr Nigel Dodds

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg

Kelvin Hopkins

Jim Shannon

Mr Richard Bacon

Mr Bernard Jenkin

Graham Stringer

Richard Drax

Kate Hoey

Sir Gerald Howarth

Mr Andrew Turner

NC1


To move the following Clause—


“Impartiality of broadcasters

(1)
Notwithstanding any enactment or legal instrument, before the start of the

referendum period the Secretary of State shall by regulations make provision to

ensure the impartiality of broadcasters during the referendum period.

Notices of Amendments: 19 June 2015
2

European Union Referendum Bill, continued

(2)
Regulations made under this section must include provision for the appointment

by the Secretary of State of a referendum broadcasting adjudicator.

(3)
Regulations made under this section must require the referendum broadcasting

adjudicator

(a)
to draw up and publish guidance applicable to the referendum to ensure

the impartiality of broadcasters during the referendum period,

notwithstanding any relevant guidance currently in force or in draft; and

(b)
to make arrangements by which any allegations of breach of the guidance

on impartiality can be referred to and determined by the adjudicator and

where an allegation, in the adjudicator’s view, is vexatious or frivolous

to dismiss the allegation.

(4)
Guidance published under subsection (3)(a) shall apply to—

(a)
the holder of a licence under the Broadcasting Act 1990 or 1996 and

(b)
the British Broadcasting Corporation.

(5)
Regulations made under this section shall require the referendum broadcasting

adjudicator within one day of receipt of an allegation that a broadcaster has

breached the guidance on impartiality to determine whether the guidance has

been breached and publish its determination and, where a breach has taken place,

to require the broadcaster to remedy the breach within one day.

(6)
Regulations made under this section are to be made by statutory instrument which

is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

Member’s explanatory statement

The intention of this amendment is to ensure impartiality of television and radio broadcasters

during the referendum campaign and to allow for swift adjudication where an allegation of bias is

made.

Ms Harriet Harman

Hilary Benn

Ms Rosie Winterton

Mr Pat McFadden

Heidi Alexander

NC2


To move the following Clause—


“Exemptions to prohibition on publication of promotional material by central

and local government etc.

(1)
For the purposes of the referendum the Secretary of State may, by regulations,

specify materials that he intends or expects to publish in the regulation period to

be exempted from the prohibitions on the publication of materials under section

125 of the 2000 Act.

(2)
Any materials listed in regulations made under this section will not be subject to

the prohibitions on publication under section 125 of the 2000 Act.

Member’s explanatory statement

This new clause permits the Government to specify material that they intend or expect to publish

in the “purdah” period for the referendum that would be exempted from the prohibition on

publication of promotional material contained in section 125 of the Political Parties, Elections and

Referendums Act 2000. The material would have to be specified in regulations exercisable by

Notices of Amendments: 19 June 2015
3

European Union Referendum Bill, continued

statutory instrument, which under clause 6 of this bill must be laid before and approved by a

resolution of each House of Parliament.

Sir William Cash

Mr Owen Paterson

Mr Steve Baker

Mr Nigel Dodds

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg

Kelvin Hopkins

Jim Shannon

Mr Richard Bacon

Mr Bernard Jenkin

Graham Stringer

Richard Drax

Kate Hoey

Sir Gerald Howarth

Mr Andrew Turner

3


Clause  6,  page  3,  line  40,  at end add—

“(5)
Regulations made under this Act or the 2000 Act in respect of the referendum

must be made and come into force not less than six months before the start of the

referendum period.”

Member’s explanatory statement

The purpose of the amendment is to ensure the legislative framework for the referendum is clear

at least six months before it is required to be implemented or complied with.

Sir William Cash

Mr Owen Paterson

Mr Steve Baker

Mr Nigel Dodds

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg

Kelvin Hopkins

Jim Shannon

Mr Richard Bacon

Mr Bernard Jenkin

Graham Stringer

Richard Drax

Kate Hoey

Sir Gerald Howarth

Mr Andrew Turner

1


Schedule  1,  page  6,  line  6,  after second “period”, insert “of not less than 16 weeks”

Member’s explanatory statement

The purpose of the amendment is to ensure that the referendum period lasts for at least 16 weeks.

Sir William Cash

Mr Owen Paterson

Mr Steve Baker

Mr Nigel Dodds

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg

Kelvin Hopkins

Jim Shannon

Mr Richard Bacon

Mr Bernard Jenkin

Graham Stringer

Richard Drax

Kate Hoey

Sir Gerald Howarth

Mr Andrew Turner

2


Schedule  1,  page  13,  line  11,  at end add—

Notices of Amendments: 19 June 2015
4

European Union Referendum Bill, continued

“(6)
For the purposes of paragraph 6 of Schedule 15 of the 2000 Act a permitted

participant must not accept a relevant donation, irrespective of whether or not it

meets the requirements of the 2000 Act and this Act, if the donation is funded

directly or indirectly in whole or part from moneys, resources or support

disbursed or allocated by or at the direction of the European Commission, its

agencies or any related European institution to the donor or via other parties to

the donor.”

Member’s explanatory statement

The purpose of the amendment is to ensure that no funds or support provided directly or indirectly

by European Union bodies have a bearing on the outcome of the referendum.

Ms Harriet Harman

Hilary Benn

Ms Rosie Winterton

Mr Pat McFadden

Heidi Alexander

4


Schedule  1,  page  19,  line  23,  leave out paragraph 26

ORDER OF THE HOUSE [9 June 2015]

That the following provisions shall apply to the European Union Referendum Bill:

Committal

1.
The Bill shall be committed to a Committee of the whole House.

Proceedings in Committee

2.
Proceedings in Committee of the whole House shall be taken in two days.

3.
The proceedings shall be taken on the days shown in the first column of the

following Table and in the order so shown.

4.
The proceedings shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a

conclusion at the times specified in the second column of the Table.

      TABLE

Proceedings
Time for conclusion of proceedings

First day

Clause 1; new Clauses and new
Three hours after the

Schedules relating to the subject
commencement of proceedings on

matter of Clause 1
the Bill on the first day.

Clause 3; Schedules 1 to 3; new
The moment of interruption on the

Clauses and new Schedules relating
first day

to the subject matter of Clause 3 and

Schedules 1 to 3

Second day

Clause 2; new Clauses and new
Four hours after the commencement

Schedules relating to the subject
of proceedings on the Bill on the

matter of Clause 2; Clause 5; new
second day

Clauses and new Schedules relating

to the subject matter of Clause 5

Clauses 4 and 6 to 11; remaining
The moment of interruption on the

new Clauses; remaining new
second day

Schedules; remaining proceedings

on the Bill

Notices of Amendments: 19 June 2015
5

European Union Referendum Bill, continued

Consideration and Third Reading

5.
Any proceedings on Consideration shall (so far as not previously concluded)

be brought to a conclusion one hour before the moment of interruption on the

day on which those proceedings are commenced.

6.
Proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be

brought to a conclusion at the moment of interruption on that day.

Programming committee

7.
Standing Order No 83B (Programming committees) shall not apply to

proceedings in Committee of the whole House, to any proceedings on

Consideration or to proceedings on Third Reading.

8.
Any other proceedings on the Bill (including any proceedings on

consideration of Lords Amendments or on any further messages from the

Lords) may be programmed.



© Parliamentary copyright	Revised 19 June 2015